Dark Promises: Midnight

by Elisa Adams

  She stood under the hot spray, letting the water run over her hair and body. She washed her hair, taking her time, and then hiked the temperature up another notch. It would serve him right if he ran out of hot water, with all he was putting her through.

  After at least a half-hour, she turned off the water and got out. She dried off with a big towel and finger-combed her hair the best she could, since she didn’t see a brush lying around anywhere. Not wanting to share a toothbrush with a crazy stranger, she squirted toothpaste onto her finger and did the best she could. By the time she was done she felt a tiny bit better, at least until she stepped into the bedroom and a strange wave of dizziness hit her.

  She sank down on the bed and took a couple of deep breaths. It was probably going from the steam-filled bathroom to the cooler, dry air in the bedroom that had done it. She’d probably be fine in another minute.

  She wasn’t. She’d meant to wrap something around her, but she couldn’t manage to get her muscles to move. Her arms were leaden and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls. She let her body drop back to the bed, hoping whatever was happening would pass quickly so she could get properly covered up before he came back. This would be the time he’d burst through the door, when she was lying naked on his bed and too tired, too boneless to do anything about it.

  Lying back on the mattress helped a little. She didn’t feel any less dizzy, but at least she didn’t have to fight with her body to stay upright. She drew in a couple of deep, slow breaths, but they only served to increase the numb feeling in her limbs. She felt like she’d been sleep-deprived for a week.

  She pulled the sheet over her body, knowing she should have gotten dressed in the clothes she had available. Even dirty, they were better than nothing. Instead, she let go, giving in to this strange, new sensation. It was like she was no longer in control of her body—something else was there now, taking her over. She should fight it, but she was too tired to care.

  * * * * *

  Marco paused in the bedroom door, not sure if he should enter or leave. Amara was reclined on the bed, eyes closed, the sheet draped loosely over her body. The door to the attached bathroom was open, the light on and a towel crumpled on the floor. Apparently she hadn’t wanted to wait for clean clothes to take her shower.

  Her still-damp hair fanned across the pillow, her natural color a brilliant contrast to the stark white sheets. Her body was firm and toned, yet retained the hourglass figure it was hard to find on woman these days. He took a deep breath, remembering a time when women actually coveted a body like Amara’s. He missed those times terribly.

  Her arm was resting across her chest, the sheet obstructing his view of her ample breasts. He licked his lips, wanting badly to taste her. His pulse sped up at just the thought.

  “Are you going to stand there all night, or are you going to come inside?” She startled him when she spoke.

  He took a second to gather his control before he responded. “I thought you were sleeping. I have the clothes you asked for.”

  “I didn’t ask. You offered.” She sighed, her chest rising and falling with the deep breath. “It’s the least you can do, you know, since you’re holding me captive and all.”

  The more he heard it, the more ridiculous it sounded, but he couldn’t do anything about that now. He wasn’t about to admit he was wrong, at least not in this lifetime.

  “Are you okay?” He even surprised himself with his concern for her.

  “No. I’m not. Is your shower gel laced with some kind of drug or something?” She spoke slowly, quietly, almost like she’d just woken up.

  He shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I can’t move. I can’t think straight. Everything is cloudy.” She drew in a ragged breath. “Did you drug me in any way?”

  “I wouldn’t do that.” His reply was harsher than he’d intended. “Are you getting sick?” That was just what he needed right now, on top of everything else—a sick human. “Do you want me to see if I can get you some medicine?”

  “For what? The only symptom I have is this tiredness… I can’t even explain this. Just forget it.” She was silent for a long time before she finally spoke again. “Why me?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why did you choose me? With all those woman out there, I should think a good- looking guy like you wouldn’t have to resort to kidnapping to get one.”

  He laughed softly, wondering when his irritation with her had begun mixing with admiration. She was emotionally a lot stronger than he’d imagined. “It was a moment of weakness.”

  “Weak? Ha! It was more like a moment of being a domineering jerk.” Her arm dropped and the sheet slipped from her breasts. His mouth went dry at the sight of her distended nipples. He licked his lips again and fought to keep his fangs retracted. God, what he wouldn’t give for a little taste of her right now. Just a tiny bit.

  He mentally slammed the door on such thoughts. Amara was not his to taste. She was here to learn, and that was all. Keep your mind on the goal, buddy. She’s not here to be your personal plaything.

  “Do you hate humans or something?”

  Her question took him by surprise. He didn’t hate anything; it was far too strong of a word. “Why would I? I was human once.”

  “Then why are you doing this?”

  He didn’t think he liked the answer rattling around in his brain—the one that said it was his quickly growing obsession with her that had driven him to do something insane like kidnap her from her home in the middle of the day.

  An obsession with a human woman would be his downfall. He’d seen it happen enough times to know that it almost never ended well. The only hope would be for her to agree to turn—

  This train of thought was clearly in need of derailment. He couldn’t go on letting the fact that her naked body was right there for his taking distract him. He had to keep his head straight, or she was going to take advantage.

  She shifted on the bed. “I’m not going to be making any more of those movies, you know, so this little learning experience of yours is kind of a moot point.”

  “Why not?”

  She sighed again, and he fought the very strong urge to go to her. He lost the battle with his fangs. He wanted so badly to sink them into her neck. Her skin was so smooth and creamy, so inviting…

  “I got canned. That’s why I’m not doing any more Midnight movies.” There was a hitch in her voice and she shivered a little. “I’ve been looking for another career.”

  He tried to tell himself he didn’t care, but his curiosity got the better of him. “What happened?”

  “The producers wanted to capitalize even more on the success of the stupid movies, so they decided to make the next one rated X.”

  He winced at the thought, but he didn’t want to define why. “Oh.”

  “Yeah, oh. And what’s worse is my costar, my ex-fiancé, was all for it. It turns out he got his kicks screwing women on camera, and other men in our bedroom.” She laughed, but thought she was on the verge of tears. “So I guess that’s it. I suppose you can let me go home now, I no longer need any hands-on training.”

  The tears she’d been fighting started and he didn’t know what to do. He understood a little more now why she hadn’t looked at him. “It must kill you to have to be so strong all the time.”

  “No. I’m fine, really. It’s just stress. I never cry.”

  He believed that. What had happened in her life that made her need to hide her emotions? “Can I get you a glass of water or something?”

  “No. Just leave the clothes and go. I’ll get dressed in a little while.” She rolled to her side, facing the wall instead of him.

  He shook his head as he walked across the carpet and climbed into bed with her. He pulled her against him and held her while she cried, the sensations alien to him. Never in his life had he given a woman comfort. Pleasure, of course, in copious amounts. He’d been known to cause a little pain in h
is time, also, when the situation warranted, but comfort was something new.

  Even when he was married, he hadn’t been there for his wife. That was the reason she’d given him when she’d told him she’d been with another man. It still hurt to this day to remember her confession, but being here with Amara lessened it inexplicably. She felt right in his arms, like she’d been made to rest against him this way. That was ridiculous, considering she was almost four hundred years younger than he was.

  Amara stiffened at first, but soon relaxed against him. Her breathing slowed, but she didn’t fall asleep. He found himself slowing his breathing to match hers. His palm skimmed over the smooth skin of her stomach and he nuzzled his face in her freshly-washed hair. This actually felt kind of nice. He could get used to this.

  Yeah, he could definitely get used to having Amara in his bed. Now that she was relaxed, something other than comfort came to mind. The burning need started low in his abdomen and it was all he could do to ease her into the idea slowly. It was hard to do anything slowly while she was lying naked in his arms. He pushed her hair off her neck and gently stroked the flesh of her throat with his tongue.

  That was a mistake. The second he touched her there, his senses went wild. His control snapped, his fangs elongated fully, and his cock hardened impossibly. He sucked in a harsh breath, fighting for a vestige of control, but it was gone. There was nothing he could do about it now. It no longer mattered that she didn’t belong to him. In a few moments she would, even if it was just temporary.

  He kissed the side of her neck, watching carefully for any signs of protest. When none came, he took her earlobe into his mouth, sucking gently as he scraped his fangs over her skin. She made a soft, whimpering sound that only increased his arousal.

  He rested his hand on her hip, drawing her rump back against him. She had to feel his erection pushing against her. He tightened his grip on her hip as his thrust his pelvis against her.

  She reached back and grabbed his wrist. He expected her to pull his hand away from her, but she didn’t. She held on to him, keeping him there. “Your hands are so warm.”

  “Did you expect them to be any different?”

  She paused. “Well, yeah. I did.”

  He eased his hand along her hip bone, down her stomach. When he caressed her lower abdomen, she tightened her grip on his wrist. “Stop.”

  He lowered his mouth back to her ear, licking the tender flesh just beneath it. “Do you want me to stop?”

  Her soft moan told him he’d found a very sensitive spot on her body. “No, just…wait.”

  He held his hand still, but continued to caress the flesh under her ear with the tip of his tongue. After a little while she tilted her head to give him better access. This time when he lowered his hand further down her soft skin, she didn’t protest. He skimmed his fingers over her curls before cupping her mound in his hand.

  “I need to taste you, Amara.”

  She stiffened in his arms. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  It sounded like a terrific idea to him. “Are you afraid?”

  She made a little sound of disbelief. “Well, yeah. It’s not every day that when a man says he wants to taste you he means to literally take a bite.”

  He let his fangs graze her neck, not breaking the skin, just enough to make her shiver. “It’ll be good. I can bring you a lot of pleasure that way.”

  “Who says I want you to bring me pleasure at all?” She said the words, but her tone told him she was lying.

  “Don’t you?”

  She breathed deeply. “I…I guess I do. I’m still shaky. I don’t know what I want.”

  In this state, hovering between fatigue and arousal, she’d be very easy to sway. He wasn’t proud of the fact that he was willing to try, but he wanted her badly. If she truly wanted him to stop, he would, but he’d have to hear the words. His slipped his fingers past her folds, stroking her clit gently. His touch was soft, designed to make her crazy with lust but not give her what she needed for relief. It worked. Soon her hand, still gripping his wrist, was trying to push him harder against her. He pulled his hand away completely, and she sighed.

  He removed her hand from his wrist, pulling it back and settling it on his thigh. He nudged a knee between her legs, raising her top leg higher as he slid his hand between her legs again.

  He clamped his mouth onto her neck, suckling the skin hard while he slipped a finger into her wet cunt. He stroked in and out of her rhythmically, thumbing her clit at the same time. He brought her right to the edge of orgasm before he pulled his hand away again.

  “Why did you stop?”

  “You need something from me. I need something from you, too.”

  She shook her head. “No. I don’t want you to hurt me.”

  He smiled against her skin. “There won’t be any pain. I promise you that.” His teeth grazed her flesh, nipping enough to just barely break the skin. She cried out and he brought his hand to her breast, his fingers circling her nipple. She squirmed against him as he warred with the primitive instincts taking control of his body. He wanted to ravish her, but something stopped him. She needed him to take it slowly, and he would do that for her as long as he could.

  Never in his life had he fought so hard for control of himself. It didn’t take much to push him over the edge. A tiny drop of blood formed at the wound he’d inflicted, and it made him wild. Rolling her nipple between his thumb and fingers, he sank his fangs fully into the delicate skin of her neck.

  She let out a breath that ended with a moan. “Oh, God.”

  He echoed her sentiments. She would never know what he was feeling. Every sensation she felt, he felt tenfold. And he was still completely dressed.

  The taste of her blood in his mouth was enough to do him in. He felt her pulse beating under his lips and her body thrum with energy against his. She was close to coming; it wouldn’t take much to send her over the edge.

  He stroked her labial lips, spreading her folds. She arched against him when he slid his finger back into her dripping cunt. She was so hot, so wet, that he couldn’t wait to have her. Tonight he would. There was no doubt about that in his mind now. She was pliant, willing in his arms. He could do with her as he pleased.

  His cock hardened way past the point of pain. After he finished feeding, he was going to have to get inside her. There was no choice. It simply had to be done, or he wouldn’t get any sleep again. Ever.

  She tasted better than any woman he’d sampled. His body heaved and he suckled her hard. He couldn’t get enough of her, in any way. The woman was pure fire under his touch, and when he was this close he ignited, too.

  She writhed against him as he slid a finger into her cunt. One stroke of his finger and she came. Her bucking against him was nearly his undoing. The only thing that stopped him from potentially hurting her was the fact that, despite the strength she’d shown, she seemed so fragile next to him. That, and the very scary realization Amara Daniels could very well be his mate.

  With one last sip of her blood, he pulled away from her and rolled to his back. In over four hundred years, both as a mortal and a vampire, he hadn’t found the one woman he was destined to be with. He’d thought he had, twice, but both times were mistakes. He’d given up hope so many years ago he couldn’t remember exactly when.

  Amara was human. Not just a human, but a skeptical human. That was the worst kind. She couldn’t possibly be the woman for him. He would just have to ignore the fact that something about their being together felt right. He was loathe to call it destiny, since destiny wouldn’t dictate he kidnap a woman to get her attention.

  “That was…wow.” Her voice was breathless as she rolled over and rested her head on his chest. He could feel her body still trembling from his assault. “But what about you?”

  “I’m fine.” That was possibly the biggest lie of his life. If she so much as touched him, he would explode. He couldn’t risk hurting her. In fact, first thing in the morning he was going
to return her to where she belonged.

  Far away from him.

  Her hand skimmed over his chest and down to the waistband of his pants. He reached for her hands, but she shooed him away. “What do you want, Marco?”

  “I think I should leave you alone so you can get some sleep.” If she touched him, he would have to fuck her. There was no debating the matter. If he fucked her, he would have to take more of her blood. He wouldn’t be able to resist. But he wouldn’t hurt her either. He’d taken a lot, and he didn’t know how much more he could take before it affected her.

  He tried to sit up, but she pushed him back down. “Lay still for a second, will you?”

  “Amara, stop. This isn’t a good idea. You’re going to need your rest after what I took from you.”

  She brought her hand to her throat and touched the fading marks from his fangs. She swallowed hard, but she smiled. “You didn’t hurt me. Not too much.”

  “I told you I wouldn’t.”

  “Yeah, well with you I never know what to believe.”

  The rasp of his zipper caught his attention. He looked down as she started to slide his pants off his legs.

  “Get undressed, would you? I don’t want to wait much longer. “

  He would have laughed if he hadn’t been so turned on. She’d managed to distract him enough to start undressing him without his notice. That was a first for him.

  Before he could think about the consequences, he stripped off the remainder of his clothes. Amara’s skin was flushed with desire, and he could see from her eyes she plainly wanted him. He was a little confused. Usually the human women just fell asleep. He couldn’t believe she wanted to be satisfied again already.

  Or that she’d thought about him as well as herself.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” He asked. “I don’t want any regrets later.”

  She nodded. “I want this. You have no idea how much I want this. Now shut up for a minute, okay?”

  Who was he to argue with that?

  She grasped his cock in her palm and her touch was like fire shooting through him. She was so warm everywhere. He let her stroke him for a minute or two, until he couldn’t stand it anymore. Then he gently removed her hand and rolled her onto her back. He would take her gently the first time. And it would probably kill him. Anything beyond that…well he couldn’t be held responsible for his actions.